Pakistan To Pull Out Of 2023 World Cup?

Mumbai: Just after the conclusion of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC),  while interacting with media representatives hit the headlines by revealing that Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue rather than as originally scheduled in Pakistan and that the Indian team will supposedly not be travelling to the terror-hit nation, concerning natural security threats.

“We will have Asia Cup 2023 at a neutral venue. It is the government which decides over the permission of our team visiting Pakistan so we won’t comment on that but for the 2023 Asia Cup, it is decided that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue,” Shah told reporters.

Moments after Shah’s comment, responses from the other side of the border started to buzz in.

Former Pakistani skipper, Shahid Afridi took to Twitter to question the timing of Shah’s statement regarding playing the continental tournament at a neutral venue.

“When excellent comradery between the 2 sides in the past 12 months has been established that has created good feel-good factor in the 2 countries, why BCCI Secy will make this statement on the eve of #T20WorldCup match? Reflects lack of cricket administration experience in India,” Afridi tweeted.

When excellent comradery between the 2 sides in the past 12 months has been established that has created good feel-good factor in the 2 countries, why BCCI Secy will make this statement on the eve of #T20WorldCup match? Reflects lack of cricket administration experience in India

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) October 18, 2022

Further, sources close to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja reveal that one of the options they are considering in response to Shah’s comments is to pull out of the 2023 50-over World Cup scheduled to be held in India next year.

Notably, India and Pakistan currently do not play any bilateral series and get to face each other only at ICC events and Asia Cup. India has last travelled to Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup held there. However, Pakistan’s last tour to India for a bilateral series was in 2012.